Palace allays fears on ‘Taiwan invasion,’ but says contingencies ready

By Darryl John Esguerra, Philippine News Agency

In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said that while preparedness is crucial, there is no immediate cause for alarm. (PNA photo by Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos)

MANILA – Malacañang on Wednesday sought to allay public concerns over a potential invasion of Taiwan by China, but assured that the government is ready for any eventuality.

This follows the reminder of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner to Filipino soldiers to be prepared for a possible Taiwan invasion as China intensifies its military drills near the island.

In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said that while preparedness is crucial, there is no immediate cause for alarm.

“Sa aming pagtanto ay hindi naman po dapat mabahala ang taumbayan patungkol dito (In our understanding, there’s no need for our citizens to be concerned about this),” Castro said.

She acknowledged the importance of Brawner’s reminder to the troops and the general public to be always prepared for any possible contingencies.

“Tama lang po na magkaroon siya ng reminder sa mga troops, pati na rin po sa taumbayan na (General Brawner was right in reminding our troops, as well as the public, that) we should always be prepared in all contingencies,” Castro said.

The Palace official reiterated that the government has contingency plans in place should any conflict arise, stressing that Manila would always be ready to respond.

“Kung magaganap po, lagi po tayong handa. Katulad ng sinabi ni Gen. Brawner, dapat lagi tayong handa sa anumang contingency (If ever a full-scale invasion happens, we are always ready. Like what Gen. Brawner said, we should be ready with our contingencies),” she said.

In response to the growing tensions in the region, especially after China’s military launched large-scale drills near Taiwan, Castro asked Filipinos in Taiwan to stay put and assured them that the government is ready to act accordingly.

“Stay put. Basta po tanda nila, ang gobyerno handang tumulong sa kanila anumang oras (They should remember that the government is always ready to assist them),” she said.

China sent its army, navy, air, and rocket forces to surround Taiwan for exercises described by Beijing as practice for “precision strikes” and a blockade of the island.

In response, Taiwan reportedly sent warships to its coast.

China lays claim over Taiwan, which Beijing sees as its breakaway province, and has threatened to annex the self-ruled island, by force if necessary.